Anthony Metivier's Magnetic Memory Method Podcast

Originally published 11 December 2019, I am republishing this interview with Nir Eyal on 31 July 2026 after re-reading and finding Indistractable’s value has grown in the face of new distractions posed by AI and other changes to the Internet. Writer and philosopher Paul Virilio famously said “The invention of the ship was also the invention of the shipwreck.” In this day and age, how true, how fitting… With every success comes unforeseen consequences. Just look at Facebook. Once touted as a revolutionary social networking giant, and undoubtedly the forerunner of modern digital communication, it is now more famous for its “scandals” in the 2016 US Presidential election and data breeches (i.e. selling your private data). Do you think Mark Zuckerberg could ever have imagined this level of influence and power could be his when he dreamed up the platform in his dorm room? Or the consequences and downfall that comes with it? And that’s just the “big stuff.” What about the role of tech and social media in